It's a while since we have done a ride in the Meon Valley, so set off today (with ebikes) to do a bit more exploring. It's a challenging area to ride, not all the time of course, but the hills can be substantial. Last Sunday our ascent around Chievely had more hills, but not such steep ones.
It's now Monday so I am a day late since Jamie came for dinner yesterday, and I had no time.
Route
There was a cold N/E wind today so we started out with all our layers on. Grey sky, but it did improve by the time we reached our teastop in Hambledon.
We left East Meon turning right not far from the car park, and immediately started to climb. Gradual at first, then taking a left turn at a fork, at a farm, (which we had missed on a previous ride) we passed a field of lambs on our left.
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Leaving East Meon turning left at Coombe. We had missed this turning
on a previous ride. |
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| The lane with the lambs. And we know we are now going up, and it gets steep. |
We joined the Droxford road at the top, which we are familiar with, with great views to the left looking back down the valley. It was breezy and cold today, so kept going. The terrain is mostly downhill for a while, and is running parallel at times with The South Downs Way. Plenty of little uphill challenge too, to keep us warm. Some of these lanes have no name, but often include the word "hill"😉.
A right turn into Old Mill Lane, which having climbed to this point is a long downhill run at last. It eventually comes to a almost 90 degree right hand bend, which I recognised, having photographed here before, but today we heard a strange buzzing noise. A little further along and before the climb starts again, we saw some heads and shoulder of people over the hedge. A clearer view at the bend, and we could see the reason for the noise. It was a rough track set up for remote control cars. A bit like giant scaletrix! We climb and soon come to very steep downhill on a narrow lane which emerges just to the left of The Old Forge Tea shop in Hambledon. It's only 10 miles into our 31 mile ride, but it is time for a cuppa, and there is also not much choice of stops around here! (had come up this way on a previous ride).
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The corner at The Old Forge tea shop, Hambledon. We approached from over there,
just beyond the arrow signs. Then we we turn up the hill to the right on the photo. |
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| chocolate orange cake for John and cinnamon crumble cake for me. |
Time for the next climb, out of Hambledon. Quite a cheeky little hill, called Cams Hill.
Cams Hill becomes Hambledon Lane, which becomes Webbs Green, and arrives at to this junction. We turn left, and a steep downhill in the direction of Swanmore.
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Left here. Think this is part of Soberton Village, where we now turn
into Selworth Lane. |
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At the bottom of the downhill run on Selworth Lane, and this pretty corner
where we swing to the right. |
We cross the river Meon, then soon over the A32 Wickham Road, into Cott Street, then a dogleg to cross Droxford Road, and into Swanmore. We spot a School building with a cafe sign, so John goes back to check the opening times for future reference. But it's no good to us with its restricted opening times.
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| Swanmore school, with John gone back to check its opening hours |
After the school building, we turn right at a cross roads, which is signposted to Upper Swanmore. Oh joy. That means more up hill, and it's called Hampton Hill. It was a very gradual climb, so not too bad, and with power precious on this ride, we both opt for just a bit of "green" to assist on this gradual climb, since it does go on a bit. We keep right at a fork and the name changes to Park Lane. As we soon turn a left corner at the top of the climb, and it flattens at last, this pretty house on our right, with views to the left too.
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| And this beast on our left! (there is a fence between us) |
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We detour left for loop around Lone Barn Lane, which is clearly not used much.
Then at the junction at the end a right turn into Sailor's Lane.
Also empty apart from one car who passed us. |
We emerge on Beacons Hill Road once more, and straight over into The White Way. The South Downs Way is running parallel to our route at this point.
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Views from White Down Way, with the Isle of Wight way in the distance.
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| A little further along White Down Way. |
From this highest point on our ride, we drop down steeply now into Exton. At one point the lane narrows so much that a single cyclist coming up the hill is just able to keep going to cycle past us, even though we are in single file.
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| We dropped into Exton at that junction next to the pink house..... |
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| ... where we cross over the River Meon |
Straight over the A32, and we join South Downs Way, which comes to a messy junction, which was almost flooded. A horserider was getting her horse ready as we passed through this mess to turn sharp left. (A day or two earlier this would have been very difficult to pass through, so we were lucky that the water had receded.)
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| Joining Stocks Lane, which is left once through this mess. |
Stocks Lane is a gradual climb then it flattens out to this pretty landscape where we pass what we call "
Little House on the Prairie", so we spend a few minutes waiting for the light to change.
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| Stopping on Stocks Lane |
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| The house is tiny in this enormous landscape. John just up ahead. |
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| Stocks Lane views to the right. |
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| Stocks Lane views to the left "Little House on the Prairie" , at the base of Old Winchester Hill |
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| Waiting for that patch of light to roll across the field! |
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| Bingo! house now lit up. |
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| Love these winter tree silhouettes |
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| And now just need to climb to the top of the hill which is beyond this first section. |
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| To the right, part way up the hill. |
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| Such lovely undulations, which change all the time with the clouds today. |
At the top, a left turn into Annie Avenue, and a blast of winds from the side. Straight over at the junction to drop down steeply now into Coombe, which is where we started our ascent after leaving East Meon this morning. We take a left turn at this Xroads, and John announces that this will save a hill back to the start. Well, it didn't!
We climbed much of the way, passing the Fishing centre, and continued undulating until we joined the West Meon Road. We then battled the wind all the way along the valley road back to East Meon. When we drove in this morning, we had noticed a horse stable (big shed) on its side in the middle of a field, a casualty of Storm Eunice no doubt. As we passed now on our bikes, a digger was in the middle of putting it back into its upright position.
It was 2 o'clock, and we sat in the van eating our picnic lunch before the drive home. Such a lovley area, but hard work without an ebike. (and with an ebike and strong wind!)
